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Kenyans raise a record Sh4.2m within hours for girl fighting rare condition

Posted on May 17, 2017
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The Kenyatta National Hospital. PHOTO | FILE

By HILARY KIMUYU

Kenyans came out in support of a nine year-old Eunice Wanjiku who is fighting what doctor’s suspect is scleroderma, an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue.

The girl is hospitalised at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Within 45 hours after an M-pesa paybill number and GoFundMe accounts were set up, the hashtag #HealingForEunice started trending and Kenyans donated with open hearts.

The accounts were set up by Ndung’u Nyoro, a social media mobiliser.

SURPASSED TARGET

The donations surpassed the Sh3 million target, reaching Sh4.2 million by Wednesday morning.

Mr Nyoro thanked all who donated and posted the total amount collected on social media for accountability.

“Thank you Kenyans. Thank you all. Thank you so much. In the last 45 hours we collectively agreed to shine the light of hope in the life of one girl,” he posted on Facebook.

Little Wanjiku was admitted at KNH on Thursday after the intervention of concerned residents from her home in Baraniki, Kikuyu.

NOT EATEN

According to Wanjiku’s mother, Teresia Mukami, her daughter had not eaten anything solid for the last two weeks before being admitted in hospital.

The mother said her daughter was born healthy but in February 2012 she observed the yellowy hue on her eyes that she had dismissed as an allergic reaction to dust was worsening so she took her to Kijabe hospital.

Dr Muriuki Waweru, who has come on board as part of the online community that is helping raise funds for Wanjiku’s treatment and has been keenly following the matter with her doctors at KNH, told the Nation on Tuesday, “on top of the condition, she is suffering from chronic malnutrition, and had ulcers of the mouth when she was admitted. Her stomach is the size of a fist”.

MANAGING PAIN

According to Dr Waweru, a team of doctors at KNH has been working on a treatment regimen for Wanjiku. He said the doctors are working on managing her pain and improving her nutrition.

“She is showing signs of recovery but the doctors want to run more test to rule out other conditions. But not all the tests can be done at KNH,” he said.